Engine.



No. 726,943. PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

W. E. KICHLINE.

ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1902. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

no MODEL.

Cl/J/ Wi cssa I 132 of.

by @Z fi 9* I I Jlnmu c y I No. 726,943. I PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

W. E. KIGHLINE.

ENGINE.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 8 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

w. E. KIGHLINE.

ENGINE. APPLICATION IILBD 8?..1 '1210, 1902.

3 SHEBTSSHEET 3.

no MODEL.

Wii

UNITED STATES Patented May 5, 1903. PATENT Grinc \VILLIAM E. KICHLINE, OF WEST BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.

ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 110.7%,943, dated May 5, 1903.

Application filed September 1 0, 1902 To all 1072 0722, it may concern: 7

Bait known that I, WILLIAM E. KICHLINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Bethlehem,.in the county of Lehigh and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Engine,"of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to certain improvements in oscillating engines actuated by steam or other fluid pressure, and has for its principal object to construct a simple form of engine in which the steam or other fluid employed as the actuating medium may be supplied to the cylinders without the intervention ofthe usual valves and valve-operating mechanism and in which the engine may be stopped, started, and reversed by means of a single controlling-lever.

A further object of the invention is to con-. struct an oscillating engine in which the. course of the steam to and from the cylindersis controlled by the oscillatory movement of the cylinders.

A still further object of the invention is to construct an engine'especially adapted for use in connection withtautomobile and simi-. lar work where the engin e is-carried by the body of the vehicle, and is connected to the driving wheel or axle in such manner as to permit independent movement of the wheels and vehicle-body due to the compressionor expansion of the usual supporting-springs; and a still further object is to provide for the support and connections of such an engine as to avoid unnecessary vibration and to properly maintain the driving-shaft in the engine and the driven axle or wheel in proper relative position under all conditions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide for the automaticsupply and"discharge of steam to andfrom the cylindersvv through thestationarysuppor-ting-gudgeons;- and, further, to provide for'the taking up of moving the cylinders from position.-

With these and other objects ;in;view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

. Serial No. 122,838. .(No model.)

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is afront'elevation of an oscillating engine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a -transverse sectional elevation of the engine on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view through the cylinders and the cylinder-supports, partly on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse sectional elevations of portions of the mechanism on the lines 5 5 and 6 6, respectively, of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the crank-shaft and one of the cranks, illustrating the arrangement of the lubricating-passages.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The main portion of the engine-frame comprises a central block 10, having upper and lOWGI heads 11 and 12. To the upper head '11 is bolted ajsteam -chest 13, divided into compartments by a transverse partition 14:.

The end portions of the chest have cylindrical extensions 15, which are mounted in a suitable bearing-block and serve as a pivotal supportpn which the whole weight of the engine is supported and on which it is free to swing as may-be required bythe variations in distance between the driving wheel or axle of the automobile and the supporting-body of the vehicle. Steam is supplied to the larger chamber 16 of the steam-chest through one of the hollow cylindrical extensions 15, and exhaust-steam from the two cylinders passes out through the cylinder 17'.- The central plate 10 is provided withtwo'vertically-disposed ports 18 and 19, which are connected to the cylinders in the manner hereinafter described, and is further provided with an exhaust-port 20, the three ports being under the control of a D-valve 21, which may be moved to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 to close bothrof the steam-ports and the exhaust-port, and-thus stop thee'ngine, or to either of the two ,open positions to place one of the vertical portsor passages' in communication with the steam-supply and the the other with the exhaust-port, a single movement of the valve being sufficient to reverse the engine, to stop the same, or to regulate its speed by the adjustment of the valve to admit a greater or less quantity of the steam to the cylinder.

To each side of the plate are secured a pair of semicylindrical blocks 22 and 23, forming gudgeons for the pivotal support of steamcylinders 24 and 25, the cylinders having inwardly-extending boxes recessed forthe reception of the gudgeons and provided with suitable bushings 26, formed of brass or similar material, which may be removed and replaced when Worn. The friction-surface between the gudgeons and the cylinders is quite extensive and results in some considerable wear on the periphery of the gudgeon-sections. 7 To compensate for this Wear, each gudgeon is formed in two sections, of which the adjacent faces are recessed, as indicated at 27, for the reception of wedges, to which are secured threaded bolts 28, extending to the peripheryof the gudgeo'n-sections and there provided with nuts 29, which may be adjusted in such manner as to force the sections slightly apart, and thus compensate for wear.

In order to steady the cylinders and retain them in proper position, each cylinder is provided with a small gudgeon 30, disposed on the cylinder at a point diametrically opposite the main gudgeons and adapted toa pivoting recess in a block 31, the latter being mounted in a guideway formed by a pair of parallel bars 32, which are joined together and extend over the top of the cylinder to a point of connection with the base-flange of the head 11 and at their lower ends are connected by tie-bars 33 to the projecting flange of the lower head 12, the Whole forming a frame which completely encircles the cylinders and properly supports the same in operative position. The blocks 32 are vertically adjusted by means of keys 35, extending through suitable openings in the guiding-bars 32 and provided with adjusting-nuts 36, thus permitting proper adjustment of the position of the outer gudgeons to compensate for any variation which may result from adjustment of the inner gudgeon-sections.

The vertically-disposed ports 18 and 19, which extend down through the central plate 10, are each connected to transversely-disposed ports or passages leading through the gudgeon-sections, the port 18 being connected to an upper passage 40 and a lower passage 41 and the T'fffbeing connected to an upper passage 42"and the lower passage 43, and at or near the extreme end of each of,

these passages are radial extensions terminating in ports 40, 41, 42, and 43', all arranged at the periphery of the gudgeons. In the upper and lower end of each of the cylinder castings are ports 44 and 45, leading, respectively, to the upper and the lower ends of the cylinder and lead to the inner curved wall of the cylinderrecesses and extend through the bushings therein. The positions of the several ports are determined by the oscillatory movement of the cylinders on their gudgeons. In Fig. 5 I have illustrated the position of the ports of the cylinder 24 when the piston in said cylinder is at half-strokeand the cylinder has assumed the greatest angle of movement. In this position, the port 19 being the source of steam-supply, steam is entering the cylinder through the passage 40 40 and the upper cylinder-port 44 and is exhausting from the lower cylinder-port 44 and port 42 to passage 43 and exhaust-port 18. Fig. 6 illustrates the position of the cylinder 25 when the cylinder 24 is in the position shown in Fig. 5. In this case the cylinder 25 is illustrated as in the central position, its axle being in a vertical plane and the'piston being at full stroke. In this position the ports formed in the cylinder are out of alinement with the gudgeon-ports and cannot receive steam until the cylinder is moved by the further movement of the piston in the cylinder 24 as said piston moves to complete its stroke. In all cases the steam inlet and exhaust ports are fully opened at half stroke and gradually closed as the piston completes its stroke in both directions, and the axes of the cylinders assume a vertical position.

The position of the governing-valve 21 is adjusted by means of an operating-lever 50, rigidly secured to a rock-shaft 51, adapted to bearings depending from the head 11. To this shaft is rigidly secured a lever 52, connected at its upper end by a pair of links 53 to the stem 54 of the valve 21, said valve be ing movable on its seat to stop or start the engine, to reverse its direction of movement, or to govern the quantity of steam admitted to the cylinders. The lower end of the lever 52 is provided with a recess fitting over a segmental locking-bar 55, provided with notches 56 for the reception of the end of a lockingbolt 57, which is pivoted at the lower portion of the lever 52 and connected by rods 58 and a bell-crank lever 59 to a latch-lever 60 of the usual construction, said latch lever being pivoted at a point adjacent to the handled end of the lever 50 and operable to effect the release of the latch 57 in advance of the movement of the lever to adjust position of the valve.

Depending from the lower head 12 are two hangers 61 having bearings for the support of a hollow shaft 62, forming the drivingshaft of the engine and provided at each end with a crank, the crank being connected by a suitable crank -pinv to the piston-rod leading from the piston of the cylinder 24, and the crank 63 being connected in similar manner to the piston of the cylinder 25. The shaft 62 is hollow, and. at one end is an opening through which lubricating-oil may be inserted, the opening being closed during the operation of the engine by a suitable plug 65. The cranks are provided with oil-passages 66, leading to the hollow shaft, and the crankpins have communicating passages to permit the supply of oil to the crank-pins, the

moving parts being thus supplied automatically with a lubricant and rendering it unnecessary to employ the usual oil-cups or to stop the operation of the engine to lubricate the crank-pins and other movable parts. Secured to the lower head 12 isa bracket 66, carrying a pump 67 of ordinary construction,

which may be used as a feed-pump for supplying the boiler with water when the engine is operated by steam-pressure. As a convenient means of operating said pump a shaft 62 is provided with an eccentric 68, having a strap 69, connected to one arm of a bellcrank lever 70, fulcrumed on the frame, the opposite arm of the lever being connected to a stem 71 of the pump-plunger.

Where the device is to be used in connection with an automobile, it is preferred to employ a link belt and sprocket-gears for the transmission of the power, and in such cases the shaft 62 is provided with a sprocket-Wheel 73, normally running loose on the shaft, but movable to engage a clutch 74, rigidly secured to said frame, the sprocket-wheel being connected by a link belt 75 to a sprocket-wheel 76 on the rear wheel-axle or other movable part of the automobile to which it is desired to apply the power. In this connection reference-numeral 7S designates the front or rear Wheel-axle or the hub or other part of an automobile to which the engine is connected by the sprocket-gearing. As the engine is carried by the body of the vehicle and moves therewith independent of the runningear, it

becomes necessary to employ means for main-' taining the two sprocket-wheels and link belt in operative relation, and for this purpose I employ a pair of connecting-rods 80, serving as links to pivotally connect the hangers 61 to the rear wheel-shaft 78 of the vehicle. As the engine is pivotally hung on the cylindrical extensions 15 of the steamchest, the links are free to move as the position of the vehicle-body varies without altering in any manner the distance between the driving-shaft of the engine and the driven elements 78 of the vehicle. In some cases the connecting-rods 80 may be pivotallymounted on the shaft 62 or connected to any other portion of the engine which will serve to maintain the two sprocket-wheels in proper relative position, or the sprocket-wheels may be dispensed with and direct gearing employed, the links being retained and acting in a similar manner to permit circumferential movement of the driving-gear on the shaft with respect to the driven gear on the axle.

The clutch-operating mechanism for the sprocket-wheel 73 may be of any desired character, a simple form being that illustrated in Fig. 1, wherein the frame is provided with a slotted guiding-block 82 for the support of a slide 83, to which is secured a clutch-operating arm 84, adapted to a grooved collar 85, secured to or forming a part of the slot-guide. While the construction herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings is the preferred form' of the device, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an oscillating engine, a cylinder having at one side a gudgeon-receiving recess, an adjustable gudgeon fitting within said recess and formed of a number of sections, steam supply and exhaust ports formed in each section and opening on the peripheral line of the gudgeon, the cylinder being provided with corresponding parts movable into alinement with the gudgeon-ports.

2. In an oscillating engine, a cylinder having a recessed portion disposed at one side thereof, an adjustable gudgeon disposed within said recess and having steam and exhaust ports opening at the peripheral line of the gudgeon, said gudgeon being formed of a number of sections, and means for adjusting said sections to compensate for wear.

3. The combination in an oscillating steamengine, of a stationary plate having ports or passages, a cylinder having a gudgeon-receiving recess, a gudgeon extending into the recess and having ports or passages for placing the ports of the plate in communication with the cylinder, and means carried by the plate for supporting both'the gudgeon and the cylinder.

4. The combination in an oscillating engine, of a central supporting-plate having steam-passages and provided with an exhaustport arranged centrally of the two passages, a steam-chest divided into steam inlet and exhaust compartments of which the latteris in constant communication with the exhaustport, a D-valve for governing the flow of steam through the steam-passages,'a valvestem to which said valve is connected, a rock shaft, a lever having a linked connection with the valve-stem and carried by the rock-shaft,

a notched locking-rack, a locking-latch car-' ried by the lever, a valve-operating lever car-' ried by the rock-shaft, a latch-lever having an operative connection with the latch, gudgeons disposed on opposite sides of the central plate and-provided with portsin communication with the steam-passages of the plate, and cylinders mounted on 'thegud geons and having ports movable into and out of alinement with the'gudgeon-ports by the oscillatory movement of said cylinder.

5. In an oscillating engine, a central. suportin late sectional udgeons carried" p b 7 33 thereby, opposite steam-cylinders mounted on the gudgeons, steam-ports formed in each section of the gudgeon for supplying steam to the cylinders, and means for expanding the sections of the gudgeons to compensate for wear.

6. The combination in an oscillating engine, of a steam-cylinder having a recessed portion, a sectional gudgeon fitting within the recessed portion and forming a supportingfulcrum 'for the cylinder, wedge-blocks disposed between the sections of the gudgeon, and means for adjusting the position of the wedge-block and expanding the gudgeon-sections to compensate for wear.

7. The combination in an oscillating engine, of a steam-cylinder, a sectional gudgeon forming a supporting fulcrum therefor, wedge-blocks disposed between the sections of the gudgeon, threaded stems carried by the wedge-blocks and extending through the periphery of the gudgeon and nuts mounted on said threaded stems to adjust the position of the wedge-blocks and expand the gudgeonsections to compensate for wear.

8. The combination in an oscillating engine, of the central supporting-plate having gudgeons, steam-cylinders fulcrumed thereon,oppositely-disposed bars rigidly connected to the central plate and spaced for the reception of a recessed block, gudgeons carried by the cylinders and extendinginto said recessed blocks, and means for adjusting said blocks, substantially as specified.

9. The combination in. an oscillating engine, of the central plate having upper and lower heads and provided with steam-passages, a steam-chest secured to the upper head, a valve in the steam-chest for governing the course of the steam through said steam-passages, ported gudgeons carried by the plate, steam-cylinders fulcrumed on the gudgeons, oppositely-disposed bars having their upper ends connected to said upper head and their lower ends connected by tie-bars t0 the lower head of the central plate, adjustable blocks guided by said bars and recessed for the reception of gudgeons carried by the cylinders, hangers depending upon the lower head, a crank-shaft having hearings in said hangers, cranks secured to the crank-shaft, pistons disposed in the respective cylinders, and rods connecting said pistons to the cranks. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM E. KICHLINE. Witnesses:

GEO. P. WOODRING, J OHN A. PALMER. 

